"Felt threatened"

Vienna: Pedestrian (21) injured with a knife sharpener

A 21-year-old man was seriously injured by another man with a knife sharpener on Thaliastraße in Vienna-Ottakring on Sunday evening. The pedestrian was suddenly hit on the back of the head and tried to fend it off, whereupon he was also hit on the arm and wrist with the object and injured.

The attacker is said to have been a 49-year-old man. However, he naturally presented the incident differently: He claimed that he had asked the younger man for a cigarette and then the latter had become aggressive. He then felt threatened and hit the man with the knife sharpener he was carrying, according to the suspect.

Cousin detained 49-year-old
Several witnesses called the emergency services shortly before midnight. The injured man's cousin held the 49-year-old until the police arrived. The 21-year-old was lying on the ground with several slash wounds to the back of his head and was treated by the Vienna Professional Rescue Service and taken to hospital. There was no danger to life, said police spokeswoman Anna Gutt when asked.

The 49-year-old was arrested and charged on suspicion of intentional grievous bodily harm. By order of the Vienna public prosecutor's office, he was taken to a prison.